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Spreading and intermittent structure of the upstream boundary of planetary magnetic foreshocks
Author(s) -
Zimbardo G.,
Veltri P.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/96gl00660
Subject(s) - foreshock , geophysics , magnetic field , bow shock (aerodynamics) , physics , field line , computational physics , geology , mechanics , shock wave , seismology , aftershock , quantum mechanics
The fast particles in the electron foreshocks propagate along the magnetic field lines, so that the effect of low frequency magnetic fluctuations is to create both a broadening and a fine structure of the foreshock upstream boundary. This is studied by means of a 3‐D numerical simulation of turbulent magnetic fields. Applications to Venus, Earth, and Mars magnetic foreshocks are done. It is found that a spacecraft can be magnetically connected to the bow shock even when it is upstream of the nominal magnetic foreshock boundary, and that the mixing of magnetic field lines can give an explanation for the broadband bursty electrostatic noise observed within the electron foreshock.